


AaCW: Midnight Revelations

by loosenyourcorset



Series: Adventures at Camp Wildflower [5]
Category: Tiny Meat Gang (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, First Kiss, M/M, Nature, Summer, Summer Camp, dumb boys got no clue what they're doing, mentions of Aleena, this chapter is noel-centric if you're wondering, tiny meat gang - Freeform, tmg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 14:02:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20875424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loosenyourcorset/pseuds/loosenyourcorset
Summary: Noel shares his photography hobby with Cody, and the tree near their cabin becomes the setting of a first kiss.





	AaCW: Midnight Revelations

There was something really hectic to Noel about attending a summer camp. Since he'd never been to one before, he hadn't known what to expect. It turns out that movies and shows were not entirely inaccurate, but he felt that they left out some key elements. Like how tiring it could all be. The activities, of course, but the whole making friends thing, too. He lived somewhere in between introverted and extroverted, whereas Cody seemed to lean toward the latter. It was admirable, really, how his closest camp friend could strike up a conversation with just about any kid on any topic and not really seem to care. Sometimes Noel wished he could do the same.

Other times, he was happy that he came off as sort of quiet and aloof. That provided him with an easy opportunity to take pictures without anyone asking what he was doing or why he was focusing so intently on random things or people. The digital camera his parents had sent with him was brand new and state of the art, at least as state of the art as a fourteen year old could possibly need.

The day after Capture the Flag, all of the campers were still in pretty high spirits. Even the losing team, who demonstrated good sportsmanship by not whining about their loss the whole afternoon. Cody had run off to do some canoeing with a few of the other kids, and Noel had pointedly decided to stay on dry land for the day. There was plenty to do outside of the water, and his finger had been itching for that shutter button for a while now.

So that's what he did. He stayed behind and explored the camp and took his photographs. This decision culminated in his missing Cody and Spock nearly starting a food fight at dinner, but he was pleased to hear about it later before lights out.

He waited quietly in his bunk until he heard the tell-tale sound of his counselor's snoring, then tried to be quiet as he made his way back down the bed's ladder. The camera's shoulder strap was laced around his neck so that he wouldn't drop it as he did so, and he left his shoes behind so that he wouldn't make absolutely any noise on the floor as he snuck out.

The camp looked totally different at night. The moon wasn't quite full yet, but it was getting there. It cast a bright silver glow across the lake, the orb shimmering in the ripples and waves. He made his way over to a tree near the Dandelion Cabin, grabbing onto a limb and climbing into it. It was tall and sturdy, and he was careful not to slip since he was only wearing socks. Almost at the top, he took a seat on a fairly hefty branch and looked out over the water. The view was nothing short of perfect, and the quiet of the night made it almost eerie. For a few minutes, the only sound that could be heard was his own breathing and the chirping of the cicadas. It might have lulled him to sleep if he hadn't felt so restless. He raised the camera and took a couple of pictures of the nighttime scenery; The darkened forest beyond the lake, the moon's reflection bouncing off of it, and a shot of the stars that people rarely got to see in a city.

There were over a hundred pictures he'd taken throughout the day in the camera's folder, and he decided that there was no time like the present to go through them. He clicked through images of his cabin in a state of disarray, with clothes all over the floor and dirty shoes strewn about. Images passed of the camp's boathouse, full of life jackets and oars not in use and maritime decor. A couple of campers had spotted him with his camera and had asked to be photographed, and he was none too happy to be bothered with that silliness. Still, he _was_ kind of glad to get the chance to hone his focusing skills. A particular favorite he'd taken was of a pretty girl who'd introduced herself the week prior as Aleena. She was somehow shorter than him, but she was always quick with a bon mot and he liked that. She'd posed making a fish face with her lips, which made him laugh before she jogged off to go do...whatever it was she had gone to do.

Noel's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a twig break somewhere beneath him, and instinctively he switched the camera off. He stayed perfectly still for a moment, wondering if the rumors were true and he'd taken the hiding spot of a vicious bear. Relief washed over his body as soon as he saw Cody's head pop up between the leaves, though he rolled his eyes at the sudden intrusion. He didn't say anything as Cody climbed up onto his branch, though to be fair it was the only branch that could support either of their weights that high up.

"What's a guy gotta do to get a little privacy around here?" he muttered finally, one eyebrow quirking up as he glanced over at Cody.

"Go to the counselors' lounge bathroom," Cody quipped in return. Fair enough, Noel thought.

They were silent for a second or two before Cody bumped Noel's shoulder with his own. "What gives? It's late, dude." It took him a minute to notice the camera was present, but the way he eyed it made Noel wary, as though Cody was going to do his trademark 'snatch it before anyone can stop me' move.

Noel huffed, adeptly moving his camera out of reach. "I came out here for some peace and quiet. And to look at all the photos I took today. While you were off being nature boy, I was here being...not nature boy."

"Ooh, artsy fartsy. Can I see some?" came the question that Noel could've seen coming a mile away, and he shook his head without giving it much thought.

"No way."

He may not have been at the level of award-winning photographers or anything (yet), but he still took his hobby pretty seriously. He didn't need a jock like Cody looking them over and ridiculing his work just for the sake of a cheap laugh.

For about five minutes, Cody whined and groaned and practically begged Noel to give in. He finally did, too, but only because if he had to listen to him go on like that for another minute, he was going to strangle him. He sighed and handed over his camera to the younger boy, blushing when Cody turned it on and that picture of Aleena was still on the screen. As he flicked through the images, Noel had to look away. It was one thing to look at them by himself, but watching someone else look at them made him want to shrivel up into a ball and hide. He wasn't embarrassed of anything he'd shot, but the potential to be critiqued was obviously there and that tended to make him anxious. Cody wasn't laughing or joking like Noel had thought he was going to do, and he didn't know if that was a better or worse outcome. 

The moments ticked by, not necessarily uncomfortably, until Cody finally handed the camera back to its owner. He was silent for a second before turning to look at Noel, brows furrowed. "Those are really good, dude. I mean, I don't know anything about, like, photographers or whatever. But if my opinion is worth anything, I think you'd make a great one."

Internally, Noel felt his stomach twist into a knot for a second as he felt a pang of guilt for thinking of Cody as just some jock only a few minutes ago. His own insecurity about being judged had caused him to do the judging himself, and he reminded himself that Cody was more than that. He was a friend, a _good_ friend. One who'd taken the time to teach a kid he'd never met how the camp worked, because that's the kind of person he was. He had to break into a smile, though. It felt a lot nicer to hear something so encouraging coming from Cody, instead of the playful hate he'd been expecting.

"You really think so?" he asked, taking the camera and flipping through a couple more of the pictures. Despite hoping for the praise Cody had ultimately given him, he didn't really believe it himself.

Cody nodded, returning the smile. "I really do. I've seen tons of pictures, so that definitely makes me an expert on this subject. Trust me!"

Noel laughed and held the camera up, gesturing for Cody to pose or smile or do whatever he wanted to. Cody had never been camera shy, and Noel had to turn the flash on because the picture would've been too dark otherwise. Cody looked really good in it, too. Being at camp had tanned his skin over time, freckles were evident in his face, and Noel had to stop himself from thinking that the braces were kind of a cute feature.

When he turned the camera off for the final time that night, he slipped the strap back over his shoulder. For a second, Cody thought they were about to get down and go back to bed. He readied himself for that, so he wasn't ready for Noel scooting a little closer to his side. He wasn't ready for Noel's hand on his shoulder, or the lips gently pressing up against his own. Unprepared was an understatement. Really, it was over as soon as it started. It felt like it had lasted an hour by the time they parted, though. Noel looked as shocked as Cody felt, as if he hadn't been the one to initiate the kiss.

Cody spoke first after bringing a hand up to touch his lips. "I thought you weren't-"

"I'm _not_," Noel stated before the question could even be finished. His own lips felt warm, maybe even electric, and after another beat of silence he burst out laughing. "Dude, did you actually brush your teeth tonight?"

"Yes!" Cody answered defensively. He understood, though. His breath still smelled like the garlic bread they'd had with spaghetti at dinner, and he instinctively covered his mouth as if that would make the smell go away. "It's your own fault! No one said to kiss me!"

The realization that they had genuinely shared a kiss made Noel's heart skip a beat. If anyone asked, not that anybody was probably ever going to find out, he would just say he got caught up thinking about this girl he knew back home. "...I know, I know," he said, teeth worrying his lower lip. "Was that, like...your first one?"

Cody nodded and Noel felt that relieving sensation again. "Mine too," he admitted, his voice a bit softer now than a second ago. "It wasn't that bad. The garlic, I mean." He had already resolved not to talk about the kiss, because he couldn't pinpoint why he'd done it in the first place and he was very much hoping that Cody wouldn't ask. Cody did have one last question, though.

"Hey - why aren't you wearing shoes, man?" he asked, and Noel's laughter filled the night air all over again.


End file.
